Burghfield boy who died in Topshop in The Oracle, Reading, was 'swinging on barrier', inquest told
10-year-old was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after display unit fell on top of him
A 10-year-old boy from Burghfield who died in a Topshop store was "swinging on a barrier" when it fell on his head, an inquest has heard.
Kaden Reddick, a Year Six pupil at Garland Junior School, was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries after the display unit fell on top of him at the store in Reading's The Oracle shopping centre on February 13, 2017.
An inquest into Kaden's death opened at Reading Town Hall on Monday, where jurors heard that he had been swinging on the barrier in the moments before it fell on him.
But the jury also heard that the same barrier had been seen to wobble in the days before Kaden's death.
Last year the Crown Prosecution Service said that Kaden's death would not be treated as corporate manslaughter as there was "not a realistic prospect" of a conviction.
Paying tribute at the inquest, Kaden's mother Lisa Mallet said "he was the little boy who changed me forever".
She said Kaden was born almost two weeks past his due date and she "should have known that this was the beginning of his personality coming though. He was always stubborn and headstrong. He was a cheeky little boy who could talk to anyone."
She said that Kaden would take care of the children smaller than him and as he was tall for his age.
She said: "He was extremely caring and absolutely doted on his younger siblings. He was generous and loved helping people. Even though he was only 10 he seemed so much older than his years.
Ms Mallet said that Kaden "was the funniest little boy" and loved school and loved playing outdoors.
"He was a lovely little boy who would never hurt anyone. His death has left a massive hole in our lives," she said.
The inquest heard that Kaden had gone into The Oracle store at around 4pm with his mother, grandmother Deborah and two siblings, after leaving the Vue cinema in Reading.
In a statement, Ms Mallet said that her daughter had picked up sweets in a tray on the barrier when Kaden said "she has some sweets, I want some".
Ms Mallet said her daughter put the sweets back and said: "I was surprised as she could not see the top of the dividers."
She then "heard a smash and saw Kaden on the floor and this divider was on him. Kaden didn't say anything. I thought maybe he didn't say anything because he was embarrassed and then I realised Kaden wasn't moving."
Kaden's grandmother Deborah Mallet said she had gone to pay ahead of her daughter and the next she heard was a bang.
"I turned round and Kaden was on the floor. Kaden was on his back and the display was on top of him," she said.
The inquest heard a statement from student Niamh Gillespie who was queuing behind the family.
Miss Gillespie said she saw Kaden start swinging on the barrier, holding on with both hands and lifting his feet off the ground.
She said: "The top of the barrier fell and hit him in the middle of the forehead. The boy's mum saw what happened and shouted mum!"
Miss Gillespie said she saw Kaden's grandmother go and pick up Kaden's arm but it just "flopped to the floor".
Miss Gillespie called 999 but said she panicked and handed the phone to a member of staff.
Team leader retail at the Topshop store, Xanthe Johnson, said in a statement "all of a sudden the boy put both his hands on top of it with an overhand grip and the barrier fell back on him. This was surprising as they are so heavy. I have seen an adult lean on them and only move slightly.
"I saw the barrier fall back and hit him in the face. It only took a split second for the barrier to fall and the boy to hit the ground. The boy didn't cry out but I could see the look of shock on his face."
Kaden was rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital where he was declared dead at 5.18pm and formally identified by his grandmother. The cause of death was traumatic head injury.
The inquest heard that the MDF (medium-density fibreboard) till divider, described as goal-post shaped with a marble-like finish, was filled with sweets and other items.
The barriers, about a metre tall and weighing around 108kg, were screwed into the floor but staff and CCTV said the barriers were seen moving in the days before Kaden died. Kaden was 4ft 11” and weighed 6St 9lb.
Topshop Reading staff member Ryan Pope said in a statement said that he heard a bang and a woman screaming "help my boy!"
Mr Pope said that he knew the barriers moved as he had seen one wobble when a stock counter had leaned on it the day before Kaden died.
Mr Pope said the stock counter was not tall or heavily built and added: "I think it only moved a little way but he looked startled and came straight off it."
On another occasion Mr Pope said that three women had been startled when a barrier moved as they leaned on it.
In another instance on February 11, two days before Kaden’s death, a teenager was seen leaning on the same barrier that fell on Kaden.
The inquest also heard that a queue barrier had fallen on a 10-year-old girl at the Topshop store in the Silverburn branch in Glasgow.
Det Sgt Alice Ashman said that Arcadia had told officers of the Silverburn incident and that the barriers were being removed from all stores.
The inquest, scheduled for 10 working days, continues.
